


The Favoured Son

by hmweasley



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:01:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28832364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hmweasley/pseuds/hmweasley
Summary: Regulus returns to Grimmauld Place with Walburga after Sirius leaves the family for good.
Relationships: Regulus Black & Kreacher, Regulus Black & Sirius Black, Regulus Black & Walburga Black
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	The Favoured Son

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts:  
> Write about going back home.

Regulus shrugged off his cloak just inside the door and hung it carefully on the rack. Walburga watched him as he did so, ready to correct the slightest mistake that she perceived no matter how simple the task.

“At least I received one son who understands decent behavior,” she muttered as if Sirius wouldn’t have hung up his cloak if he were there.

Despite the supposed compliment, Walburga’s attention immediately shifted as she went stomping up the stairs, muttering about Sirius as she went. Regulus didn’t step away from the front door until she had disappeared. His heart had dropped the moment when, standing on the platform, Sirius had made it clear he wasn’t coming to Grimmauld Place with them, and he still felt shaky.

With his mother gone, he felt a small bit of relief for the first time. He could hear her shouts in the study, but he’d expected her to take her anger out on him, so shouting from another floor was much preferable.

Her shrieks were so powerful that Regulus could hardly make out what she was saying despite her volume. He caught the occasional “son”, “disowned”, “Black”, and “Potter”, though, which was enough for him to imagine how she was recounting the Potter family Apparating away from the platform with Sirius in tow.

Regulus was pretty sure it could have counted as a kidnapping, considering Sirius was still a minor, but his parents would never involve the Ministry in such business. And Sirius’ choice to leave was enough of a reason for neither of them to actually want him back anyway.

With his parents safely behind the study door, Regulus began making the trek up to his room. He’d be safe there, not having done anything to attract his parents’ ire directly. Usually, in times like these, he could make himself more invisible than Kreacher. It was part of what made him the favoured son.

He was almost to his door when another caught his eye: Sirius’. Regulus hadn’t seen it for months, obviously, having been at Hogwarts, and a pang of nostalgia hit him when he saw the handwritten signs warning against entering. It was a far cry from Regulus’ own door, which he’d kept decoration free to avoid angering his parents. He’d been jealous of Sirius in the past for not caring how their parents retaliated when he acted out. Less than an hour after Sirius had abandoned the family for good, Regulus just felt sad.

Part of him itched to cross the landing and push Sirius’ door open instead of his own. It had been ages since he’d been inside. Sirius had grown distant after starting Hogwarts, and Regulus hadn’t had a reason to enter when Sirius was gone anyway. Still, he could imagine it in his mind’s eye. He knew Sirius had plastered Gryffindor colours around the place during his first holiday back home from school. There had been a punishment for that, but Regulus hadn’t seen the damage for himself. He hadn’t wanted to show too much interest in Sirius’ decorations, not wanting to get in trouble of his own.

His imagination had fleshed out an image, though, and as he stood on the landing, he couldn’t help but wonder how accurate his imaginings were. He took one step toward the door when his father’s raised voice carried to the landing from the study.

Regulus shuddered and hunched his shoulders over. His mother shouting was to be expected. It was frightening but commonplace. Orion raising his voice was when Regulus knew that hell was about to rain down, and he should have expected it. They all knew that they’d lost their heir years ago, but after Sirius’ stunt on the platform, it would be official. They’d burn him off the family tree, and afterward, they might come straight to his room and demolish it from top to bottom.

Regulus was seized by fear at the thought of being caught inside it. He backed away, almost tumbling backward down the stairs in his haste to get away. He’d go to the kitchen instead. It was safe there; his parents would never think to look for him with Kreacher. And, if they did, Kreacher would be able to warn him.

He hurried down the stairs, his parents’ shouts growing quieter as he left them behind.


End file.
